


To Face Our Destiny and Save the World

by LittleMissAnon



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Batwoman (TV 2019), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe), Episode Fix-it: s01e15 Destiny, F/M, Vanishing Point (DC's Legends of Tomorrow)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:20:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24961456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissAnon/pseuds/LittleMissAnon
Summary: Trapped at the Vanishing Point, Sara and the other paragons look for a way out, but instead find something else.
Relationships: Sara Lance/Leonard Snart
Comments: 63
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just going to ignore the fact that Ava exists for now. That might change later, but I don't know yet.

Sara paced around The Vanishing Point, sharpening her knives. With each hiss of a knife on the whetstone, another argument could be heard from the group behind her. 

Some paragons we must be, she thought, can’t even decide on who will lead the saving of the world, much less how to save it. 

She heard a crackle, the tell-tale sign of Barry running off again, trying to perform some crazy task to save his wife and friends. Sara doesn’t have to look to see the results. They’ve done this a million times over, an argument, a risky plan, even just a random idea, Barry goes running. Each time he returns with a defeated look on his face.

Sara knows they can’t stop trying, can’t stop hoping, but when she also knows when to call it quits and save your strength. Barry, by the looks of it, does not. His face is gaunt and pale as if his skin was from a corpse, pulled taught over his skull. The others are not much better off, hell, she’s not much better off. What would Ollie say?

Sara stops her pacing, the knife dangling from her hand, and walks towards the group of heroes. She may not know how to fix their broken world, but maybe someone here might. They just need a good ole pep talk, as for some reason that seems to always do the trick.

“Hey.” This earns a few glances as she probably hasn’t spoken for the past week or so. “I know it’s rough right now, I know that the whole world is gone and we don’t know how to fix it-” Sara pauses, noticing Lex rolling his eyes “but, we have to keep trying. We can’t do what Barry’s doing, he’s running himself ragged, but we have to make a plan. We have to do something.” 

Kate Kane stares back at Sara, clearly not impressed. “Look, I know I’m new to the team and all, but really? Another pep talk?” Kate pushed herself from the floor, balancing most of her weight on the wall.

“I don’t know. I’m the paragon of destiny, not pep talks!” Sara stalked off and ran her fingers through her tangled mess of hair before turning once more to face the group of dejected heroes. “Look, it’s our job to fix this mess. If you want to sit there and mope, fine by me but I’m going to walk around. There’s got to be something here that can help us.” 

She turned once more toward the warped and singed metal behind her, attempting to push down her memories of why it was like that. The capture of Savage. The imprisonment of her team. _Their_ plan to save them. _His_ final mission. 

Sara chided herself. Where was the feelings box when you need it? Lock them up, bury the key, and there you go. No longer a problem or a distraction. No longer a weakness.

This caused a familiar voice to argue in the back of her head. Leo’s voice. God, he really hated her feelings box. That wouldn’t be a problem anymore though. Leo’s dead. They’re all dead. Sara’s family, her friends, her team, every single Leonard Snart doppelganger in the multiverse.

_Feelings box_ , she reminded herself.

_Unhealthy coping mechanisms_ , Leo’s voice retorted.

Sara shook her head, dispelling the memory. No good to dwell in the past. Not when she had to save the whole freaking multiverse with a group of defeated heroes and whatever is left of The Vanishing Point.

Sara wandered deeper into the complex, her fingers tracing lightly along the walls. She saw that the structures were in fairly good condition despite the explosion that should have destroyed them nearly five years ago. Sara stepped closer, examining the cracks in the walls and floor, noting that they were held together by some sort of faint, shimmery blue substance. Not recognizing the material, she came to the conclusion that The Vanishing Point had been repaired by some sort of future technology. Whether the building was being repaired automatically or by a somehow remaining Time Master was yet to be seen.

The halls of The Vanishing Point were near identical, so it took some time before Sara realized the path she was taking. She had wandered her way to the Oculus Wellspring. Pausing at the door, Sara began to turn and retrace her steps when she caught sight of something. It was a pulsating, blue orb floating just above the crumbled remains in the center of the room. She hesitantly entered the room and noticed that the orb had thin strands of itself stretched towards the pile of rubble. Well, this isn’t the weirdest thing she’s seen today. Maybe it’s sentient.

“Hello,” Sara spoke softly, not wanting to spook the creature. “What are you?”

The orb retracted its tentacle-like strands from the cement and made a high pitched humming noise as if it were a machine.

“So I take it you can hear me then. What are you doing?” The question was mostly rhetorical, as Sara had realized it probably didn’t speak English. 

She walked closer to examine the orb’s handiwork. While doing so, Sara noticed that concrete and metal weren’t the only things buried in the rubble. She rubbed her eyes, praying that her time at the Vanishing Point hadn’t finally driven her mad. 

Sara looked again, confirming, for sure, that there was a human hand sticking out of the construction materials. She reached forward, ready to sweep the rubble away from the body that was hopefully attached to the hand but was stopped by the orb, which was pulsating more intensely than before.

It was now that Sara noticed the hand, _Len’s hand_ , didn’t exactly look like a normal hand. For one thing, it was surrounded by a faint blue outline. It also seemed to be pulsating to the same beat as the orb blocking her path. She stepped back, her hands tightening into fists.

Sara’s eyes flitted to the blue orb, then back to the small bit of hope in this crisis.

_I’ll be back. I’m not leaving you to die this time._

Her silent promise rang through her head, hammering into her skull. 

Sara tore herself from the room, running down the corridors. With each footfall, she felt her heart pound harder in her chest, and when she finally returned to the group of dejected heroes, all Sara could do was fall to her knees, begging, “Please. Please, you have to help him.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I wanted to thank all the amazing people that commented on the first chapter. You have no idea what your comments mean to me, you have all truly made my day. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The paragons walked towards the Oculus Wellspring, majority of them examining the blue goo that filled the cracks in the walls. Sara looked back and saw the sluggish group of heroes behind her.

“Pick up the pace guys! We have to get back there in case this orb thing is dangerous!”

“Umm, hi, blonde woman?” Ryan’s voice wavered as he approached Sara at the front of the group.

“Sara.” she corrected.

“Right, Sara. Sorry. Are you sure you saw someone in that other room? We don’t know how long they could have been here, and if they were lying still like you said then the person is most likely de-” Sara cut him off with a sharp look.

“I saw a person, I’m sure of it. And time doesn’t exist here, so he could be alive.”

While her tone was firm and certain a small voice in Sara’s head continued to voice the concerns she shared with Ryan.  _ What if he was dead? What is this orb that seems to be attached to him? _ And the worst question of all,  _ what if he isn’t dead? _

Sara tightened her fists and felt sharp nails digging into her palms. Taking a breath, she turned to face the group for a final briefing before they entered the Wellspring.

“Many of you know, or know of Leonard Snart from Earth-1. Snart was a crook who faced off against Barry and his team several times before joining the Legends” Sara paused, reading the room. Most of the group was listening intently, the exception being Lex Luthor who was smelling the shimmering blue substance in the walls. “At the end of his journey with my team, Leonard made the decision to sacrifice himself for the free will of the world. He did this by blowing up a device called the Occulus, which is somehow connected to the timestream and allows the user of it to control events in time without having to actually participate in them,” Sara took a breath, realizing that questions would most certainly follow this mission. “I only saw the explosion from afar, but the fire was blue, like the Occulus. It’s the same blue that fills the cracks in these walls, the same blue as the orb in the room ahead, and the same blue that encases the human hand buried in the rubble. Whether it is Snart or not, whether the person is alive or not, we still need to find out.” 

Majority of the group looked entranced in the idea of saving someone, but a few looked skeptical. Batwoman had a sour expression, her mouth pulled into a flat line. In different circumstances, it would have been attractive to Sara. To kiss the frown away, to run her fingers through Kate’s short locks, trace the shape of her body with careful, light fingers. But not today, not now. Her head was a mess already. The idea of Len being alive, the idea that he had been alive this whole time and they had just left him there, that they moved on with their lives, it was difficult to wrap her mind around it.

The group began to move into the Wellspring, but froze when suddenly Lex spoke, “This is stupid. The thing clearly would have attacked knife chick the first time she saw it if it was dangerous. And I don’t know about you all, but I don’t have a weapon.”

“Look, Lex, if you’re too scared to deal with a little, glowing ball then you can go back to the main area. We’re heroes and someone’s in danger, we have to save them.” Supergirl said, her tone exaggerated, and her hands placed firmly on her hips. 

Noticing the drama was over, Sara rolled her eyes and motioned for the group to continue.

The Oculus Wellspring looked like a cage made for a giant. The walls must have been at least fifty feet high, each one pulsing with blue light, clearly connected to the orb in the center of the room. It was emitting enough light that the paragons could see the whole room, floor to ceiling. Just below the orb was a pile of concrete and metal, forming almost a perfect circle. Blue strands of the shimmery substance connected the glowing ball to the walls, ceiling, floor, and what could be made out as a human hand, just barely visible, sticking out of the rubble pile. When the orb didn’t attack, the group of heroes moved closer.

“Science geeks,” Kate Kane asked, “what can you tell us about the whole, glow ball?” She motioned to the current situation in the middle of the room.

Barry, Ryan, and Lex simultaneously opened their mouths to answer, before Lex and Barry decided to let Ryan run point on this operation.

“Well, um,” Ryan cleared his throat uncomfortably, “based on what Sara said, and the light it’s giving off, the orb seems to be some sort of temporal energy system, but I can’t tell much more than that. I think that right now the best course of action is probably to just not touch it.” As the newest hero said this Lex Luthor quickly snatched his hand from a portion of the wall he had been examining.

“As much as I hate to say it, the random new guy is right. Burns like hell.”

“You should know, it’s practically your vacation home!” Kara exclaims.

Sara sighed. They were never going to get anything done like this. She moved towards the stack of rubble, desperate to dig her old teammate out and see what condition he’s in. 

Before she had even finished lifting the first chunk of concrete a burst of wind accompanied with yellow light flew past her face, clearing the pile. And there he was, plain as day.  _ Leonard Snart _ . His eyes were closed, but his chest was rising and falling softly. He looked the same as Sara remembered him all those years ago, save for a few smaller pieces of cement tucked into the folds of his leather jacket. She reached out towards her fallen teammate, desperate to once more wrap her hand around his sleeve, push her lips to-  _ no. Not yet. _ Sara stopped herself from imagining what could be. She knew that only led to disappointment.  _ There was only so much self-control someone could possess _ Sara thought as she extended her fingers to reach Leonard.

The other paragons stood around them, each one in awe with their discovery. Most looked confused, but Barry Allen had a smile on his face so wide it must have hurt.  J'onn J'onzz smiled softly, despite never having met Leonard Snart, almost as if he knew something the others didn’t. The group watched as Sara made contact with the mysterious man in the rubble. 

  
The reaction was immediate, the orb glowed brighter, at Sara’s touch, and the blue nearly became white with light. The light increased still, to the point where it was unbearable for anyone’s eyes to remain open. When the heroes finally opened their eyes again they were met with a puzzling sight. The walls were no longer cracked, and the rubble had disappeared from the center of the room, along with it, Sara and Leonard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks! Have a great day!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments and kudos, it really means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

_Five Years Earlier, Oculus Wellspring_

“There are no strings on me!” Leonard snarled to Time Master Druce. Bright, blue light shined from the Oculus, nearly swallowing his arm, and forcing him to squint. When the light became unbearable he finally shut his eyes. 

“Lenny? Lenny, is that you?” a young girl’s familiar voice called to Leonard and he blindly reached out, trying to find something to hold on to. Doing this, Leonard realized that his extended arm was no longer trapped in the Oculus.

“ _Lennnnnyyyy!_ Open your eyes silly!” He followed her instructions and was shocked to be staring at his sister, who looked to be somewhere around the age of seven. The two of them were standing in an empty movie theater, and the lights were dimmed, as if the movie would start soon.

Little Lisa had her dark curly hair tied up in sloppy pigtails and was missing at least four teeth. She appeared carefree with her mouth stretched into a wide grin and her face shining up at him, but something was wrong with her eyes. They were void of life and color. Gazing into them was like staring into an endless dark pit. These eyes did not belong on the face of a young girl. 

As Leonard thought this, Lisa began to change. Her small frame grew until she matched what Leonard knew her to look like today, well, all but her eyes, which remained pitch black.

“Geeze, sorry! I didn’t know you hated my eyes so much, I can’t do anything about them.” Older Lisa sounded annoyed but still seemed pleased to be in his company. Leonard’s brow furrowed.

“How do you look like my sister?” His hands were curled into tight balls as he imagined what could have happened to Lisa all alone in Central City.

“Oh, calm down Lenny!” The Lisa lookalike spoke with laughter, not at all concerned by the angry man before her. “I didn’t do anything to Lisa, I just look like her ‘cause I thought that would make you more comfortable.” They pressed a panel in the wall and it slid open, revealing two bags of buttery popcorn in a five by two dark hole. “See, when you got here I kinda went through your mind-” Leonard opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off. “I only did it ‘cause otherwise we both would have died!” The person munched on some popcorn. “So, anyway, I kinda bonded with your brain, and I can see all your memories now! But it’s not so bad ‘cause you can see all mine too! You’ll just have to practice.” The person started towards the seats, the conversation finished in their mind, but Leonard wasn’t having it.

“I’m sorry, _what_ ?” He snapped, “You have _bonded with my brain_ and we can see each other’s memories? Who even are you?” His voice was low, but the growl in his throat was barely restrained. The only thing that stopped Captain Cold from knocking some sense into this person is that their face belonged to his sister.

“Good thing I picked Lisa! I couldn’t figure out if that would make you more or less,” they paused for a moment trying to find the right word, “prickly.”

“You can hear my thoughts?!” They laughed at his question.

“I think it’s only fair. I mean, none of this really exists,” they gestured at Lisa’s body and the theater, “it’s all in your head. But hey, it could be worse!” Leonard sunk into one of the nearby theater seats and put his head in his hands before taking a long breath and looking up, his face a mask of pure annoyance.

“Right, so this is hell. Interesting how Sara didn’t mention that the female version of Raymond would be waiting for me.” Leonard braced himself for another stream of the body snatcher’s quick-paced rambling.

Lisa’s lips pursed. “Wow. Everything about that sentence is wrong. First of all, I am not a female, but instead an entity, and therefore don’t have a gender.” they paused, almost as if they were gauging Leonard’s reaction before continuing. “Second, you didn’t die, and this isn’t hell. I told you already, you’re just trapped inside your mind. All you need is a catalyst from in here, and from outside your body, to wake up. If that happens you’ll be right as rain!”

“And if that doesn’t happen?” Fake Lisa frowned in response.

“Let’s not worry about that right now. Also, please stop calling me all these weird things in your head! I have a name you know.”

Leonard raised his eyebrows and motioned for her to continue talking.

“Really? You actually don’t know? I’m _the_ Oculus, you can call me just Oculus, and-” they were cut off as the lights in the theater began to flash slowly, “I guess we should sit down! The show’s about to start!” Leonard’s brow wrinkled in confusion and Oculus an exaggerated ‘oh’ face. “You don’t know what’s going on at all!”

“No,” Leonard said firmly.

“It’s pretty simple. Cause you and I have mind-melded you get to see the world like I normally do even though you’re not part of it right now! Basically, while we’re in here we can watch anything and everything happens in the real world at any pace we would like. We can even see possible futures!” Oculus smiled brightly as if this were an easy concept to process.

“That sounds like the opposite of simple. Also, shouldn’t this be impossible because my team and I blew you up?” 

Oculus shrugged happily. “You didn’t really blow _me_ up. You blew up my cage and my main power source. The thing those Time Masters had me trapped in enhanced my power so they could use me to change the timeline. I can’t do that at my current power level, but I can still see everything, and now you can too! Isn’t it great?”

Leonard rolled his eyes at Oculus’ excitement. _Although it could be worse_ , he reminded himself before cursing the infectious optimism that would surround him for what could be all of eternity. At this thought, Leonard paused wondering if he would have to see his friends and family grow old and die, if they were even lucky enough to grow old. He was the perfect example of the dangers in their line of work. Would he age? Could he ever leave the prison cell disguised as a movie theater? 

“Oh quit your worrying! You’re gonna miss all the speeches about your ‘death’!” Oculus pointed towards the screen which now showed the remaining Legends gathered somberly on the bridge. Leonard turned towards the screen with a soft smirk. How many people get to go to their own memorial?

“And anyway,” they said softly, giving Leonard a look of pity, “I’m sure they’ll find you someday.”

Leonard’s face became a mask of ice and he stared pointedly at the scene playing out before him. Oculus sighed.

_Present Day, Oculus Wellspring_

Sara stood in front of Leonard’s body, her face blank. The other paragons stood behind her, but that didn’t really matter. All that was important is that he was there, barely alive in the rubble. The murmuring of her new teammates continued behind her, but it was nearly drowned out by a sudden buzz that filled her ears. 

It wasn’t an unpleasant sound, but something was off, the noise was fuzzy, almost as if it came from somewhere very far away. Sara leaned towards her friend- y _es, he deserves at least that much_ \- and realized that the sound became clearer. Not knowing what to make of this, she began to study Leonard once more. Due to the lack of moving time in the Vanishing Point, Leonard looked much like she remembered. The sleeve of his leather jacket was still creased from when her fingers gripped his arm. His closely cropped hair was speckled with silver. Sara reached out, as if to touch his face, but instead let her hand fall, accidentally brushing her warm fingers against his cold ones. She jerked her hand away in alarm, but it was too late. Sara turned to see the brightening orb floating towards her at an alarming rate, its light steadily increasing. Making a snap decision, she grabbed Leonard’s hand. It was cold and limp, as if he were dead, but Sara saw the rise and fall of his chest, felt the rhythmic beating of his pulse under her fingertips. The buzzing noise became too loud to bear, and Sara fell to her knees, pulling hers and Leonard’s hands to her ears. Despite the luminosity of the orb, Sara kept her eyes open. 

_If I’m going to die again at least it will be with you_. She held firmly to his hands, they were her anchor to the world in the midst of the noise and light.

Sara felt a thousand years pass before her vision began to cloud with dark spots, but to the heroes watching the exchange occurred in a split second. Sara swayed before falling forward, her head pillowed on Leonard’s shoulder, their hands intertwined even as consciousness left her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a great day!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took forever. My WiFi kept having issues, and majority of the chapter was deleted three or four times. Oh well, at least it was fun to write!

Sara opened her eyes, she blinked a few times before realizing she was in complete darkness. She began to slowly reach her hands out in front of her, hoping to feel something that could clue her in on her surroundings. Sara had barely gotten her elbows away from her sides when she felt them hit a hard surface. She pushed into the barrier, hoping that it would lead to freedom, but nothing happened. Sara twisted and turned frantically in the small box. She could tell was barely bigger than a coffin, with smooth wooden walls too similar to those of which she laid within for nearly a year. Sara began to panic, pushing harder at what she hoped was an exit of some sort. She slammed against the wood, hitting it with all her might, hoping that where ever she was someone else would be able to hear her. 

“Help! Please help me!” Sara screamed, the desperate words bringing her back to years prior. The sinking of the Gambit, her time on the Amazo, and even when she was on the island were filled with pleas of help, cries for someone else to save her, and always someone did. The only problem was that each savior seemed to be worse than what she was being saved from.  _ Saved  _ from drowning to serve as a pet torturer,  _ saved  _ from that to barely survive on Lian Yu, and from then she was  _ saved  _ by the League of Assassins. There were some highlights there, particularly a special brunette, but it was still years of murdering, which in the end led to her own death. Sara had made up her mind, this time she would save herself. 

She pounded on the wood in front of her, practically slamming her whole body against the barrier. Sara paused, suddenly remembering why she was in this situation to begin with,  _ Leonard _ . She began to panic, picturing his unconscious form in a coffin beside her, eventually both of them succumbing to death. She pushed harder against the wood, barely considering the bruises already beginning to form on her body. 

A soft light began to illuminate the box, beginning at the bottom. The light rose until the entire wall was lit, revealing that it was indeed wood. Sara paused, confused how the box could be bright, but she hadn’t made any progress. 

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind her, “Hey! I found you!”

Sara whipped around and found herself face to face with a black-eyed, pink-haired young adult. They suck their hand out and smiled brightly, “Hi, I’m Oculus!”

Sara shook hands with them hesitantly. “Sara.” She paused, still holding on to their hand. “Wait, did you say you’re _ the Oculus _ ? Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, a machine? And destroyed?!” She pushed past Oculus and cased the room. They appeared to be in a movie theater, the walls lined with dingy red curtains, the space filled with falling apart plush chairs, the color faded as if from age, which couldn’t be right as this clearly wasn’t an actual movie theater. There was no smell of fake butter, no popcorn on the floor, and most obviously movie theaters didn’t exist anymore. They were destroyed by the anti-matter wave right along with everything else. 

Oculus sighed, remembering the first round of explanations. “I’m Oculus, just Oculus. It’s my name, no need to say it like a title. I’m on your side, the Time Masters were controlling me with the device your…  _ teammate _ ” they snickered softly, “blew up. Long story short, when Leonard blew up the device part of me got sucked inside his head. The rest of me, that orb you saw, was outside his body making sure nothing happened to it. When you touched him, it was like pressing a restart button on his body, which let the rest of me, and you, into his head. Cool, right?” Sara stared at Oculus trying to figure out if they were serious before responding.

“Uh, no, but okay. You said we’re in his head? Is Leonard okay? Where is he?”

Oculus waved their hand. “Oh, yeah, he should be fine. He’s over by the screen.”

Sara looked towards the screen but didn’t see anyone. Oculus up at the ceiling for a few minutes before sighing and pointing towards the floor.

“Len!” Sara cried when she spotted him lying on the floor. Leonard’s arms and legs were stick straight, and practically glued to his body. When Sara reached him she noticed his eyes were stuck wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling of the theater.

She fell to her knees beside him and reached to hold his hand before remembering what happened last time she touched him. She drew her hand away and stood up, running her fingers through her hair. Sara turned and found herself,  _ yet again _ , face to face with Oculus, who had their hands covering nearly all of their face and was making some sort of odd squealing noise.

“What are you doing?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Nothing!” Oculus looked down at their feet, a smile stretched across their face. 

Sara rolled her eyes. “It’s clearly something, so just tell me.”

“It’s just, well-” Oculus stuttered, “you two are  _ soooo  _ cute!” They began to squeal and hide their face once more.

Sara gave them a murderous glare. “No, we’re not  _ cute _ .” Venom dripped from the words, but Oculus noticed the slightest change in her eyes. They didn’t match her tone. Rather than annoyed and angry, her eyes were full of sadness. “How the hell do we fix him?”

“There has to be some sort of big shock we give to his system from in here. You already took care of the shock from outside his body.” 

“Okay,” Sara began slowly, as if she was talking to a small child, “so how do we do that?” Oculus just shrugged, their smile twisting into a frown. 

“I dunno.” They looked around the room before their eyes landed on Sara. Suddenly, they looked especially pleased with themself.

“What’s that face for?” Sara asked, beginning to get the hint that she wouldn’t like the answer.

“Well,” Oculus smiled coyly, “you could kiss him.” If looks could kill, Oculus would be dead. “Or,” they added on, reevaluating the situation, “you could just, tap him on the shoulder. Something boring like that.”

Sara sighed, disappointed that this sort of behavior was more familiar to her than not. “You would get along really well with my team Oculus.” She sighed again and looked into Leonard’s blank, stuck open eyes. “Here goes nothing.” Sara rested her hand gently on his shoulder, her touch so light she could barely feel his worn leather jacket. Her eyes swept over his face, taking in every detail. Sara froze, staring at his lips, remembering their last encounter. She chewed on her lip, worried about what would be next for them.

“Oh for the love of god!” Oculus exclaimed as they stalked forward. They looked at Sara, before raising an eyebrow, unamused. “Are you going to kiss him or not?”

“Uh,  _ no _ .” Sara quickly removed her hand from his shoulder, embarrassed to have been so lost in thought in front of this stranger. 

Oculus shrugged before leaning over and slapping Leonard hard in the face. 

Sara looked at Oculus in shock. “What was that for?!” She turned away from Leonard, putting herself between the two of them, mere inches from Oculus’s face. Oculus smiled nervously and took a step back.

Behind Sara, the previously paralyzed Leonard was beginning to come to. Len sat up and frowned as he noticed the walls and floor of the mind palace theater had begun to fade. The ringing in his ears had begun to clear, and he could hear two voices. Leonard shook his head sharply, but froze when he realized who was talking,  _ Sara _ . He saw Oculus poke their head out from behind his former teammate.

“Hey! You’re awake!” Oculus waved cheerfully. Sara turned, her gaping mouth rivaling that of a goldfish. 

“Why’s everything fading?” Leonard asked, gesturing at the walls around them.

“Well, since you,” Oculus pointed at Len, “have had an outside catalyst and an inside catalyst, we will all be back to the normal world soon, and out of your weird, dissolving, movie theater brain.” Snart nodded in response and turned once more to Sara.

“So, I hear it’s been a while,  _ Captain _ .” Len drawled, a sound that Sara had missed in the past few years.

She looked at him in surprise. “What? How’d you know that?”

“Well-” Leonard began to respond, but before he could answer Sara’s question, the theater faded into darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... I was somewhat consistent with updating for a couple weeks. Whops! I'm trying to develope a habit, so I'll try my best to get back on track.
> 
> Also, all the comments are beyond kind, thank you so much!!! I hope you like this chapter!

The paragons stood in the Oculus Wellspring, spread into a semicircle around the pile of rubble in the center of the room. The group had just witnessed the disappearance of a paragon, one of their own, and who, to many, is a mystery man. After a few minutes of gaping at the rubble, Lex Luther turned on his heel and walked back towards the main room.

“This is too much drama for me, I’m outta here.” The bald man grabbed Ryan Choi by the arm, dragging the newest member with him. When Ryan sputtered, attempting to ask why Lex was doing this, he simply replied, “I’ll need some do-gooder to dance around, make their little hero mistakes to entertain me!” Ryan rolled his eyes and sighed before following the childlike man.

Barry studied the remaining paragons, taking it upon himself to lead the group. He knew he was no Oliver, and never would be, but someone needed to step up. His friends were in danger, and every known world had been destroyed by the wave of antimatter. Action needed to be taken, and soon. He turned away from the rubble and towards his friends. “This is definitely a weird situation, but we need to do something. Anyone have an idea?”

“Some weird glowing ball just zapped away a very experienced assassin and some random dude, and you expect us to fight it? We don’t even know where it went!” Kate exclaimed, her tone biting. Everyone seemed to have a response to this, and each hero’s voice got louder and louder, hoping their squabbling would be heard over their others. 

J'onn J'onzz just stood there with crossed arms, waiting for the group to be done with their immature argument. When the heroes finally calmed down, he spoke, “I don’t think we will need to take action.” Noticing the confusion of the group, he explained further. “Some of you may know that I am not human and have different abilities than you. I looked into the orb that took our friends, it is a living, sentient being that does not intend to harm our people.” This caused the paragons to break into another set of arguments.

“If it doesn’t want to hurt us, why did it take Sara and Snart?” Barry asked, clearly skeptical. “Also, whether it’s bad or good we still have to find our friends!”

J’onn put a hand on Barry’s shoulder. “We don’t need to. I should have mentioned that first, I’m sorry.” 

“We can’t just give up on them!” Barry looked at him in alarm.

“We aren’t Barry. They are with us here in this room. I can feel them.”

Kate rolls her eyes. “So we’re supposed to believe that these people,  _ who we can’t even see _ , are here ‘cause of your ‘magic powers’?” 

J’onn sighs, disappointed in the new hero. “No, you don’t have to believe me, but if you did it would be because of science, not magic.” Barry ran a hand over his face, realizing that his next move could tip the group into another heated conversation.

“I believe J’onn,” Barry’s voice was hard, the pressure of the situation forcing him to mimic Oliver’s leadership style, “I think we should wait a bit longer before we investigate. It’s not like there’s anything we can really do now anyway.” He dragged his feet walking to the nearest wall and collapsing against it, staring emptily into the pile of rubble. J’onn looked around, taking in that none of the others objected to this plan before crouching down next to Barry. One by one, the others joined them, each one grimacing at the pit of helplessness growing inside of them. They didn’t know how to help their friends, much less save the world.

Ooo0ooO

Kara didn’t know how long she’d been waiting, but it felt like forever. She looked up, Barry was pacing in front of her. He would change speeds, going from the pace of a snail to so fast Kara had a difficult time seeing him. She knew he was worried about Sara and this Snart person, but how was giving her a headache going to solve anything? 

Suddenly the room filled with light so bright it leaked into the hallway, attracting the attention of Lex and Ryan, drawing them into the room. While the entrance of the light was sudden, it faded away slowly and the paragons began to open their eyes. When the light was completely gone, the group rushed to the pile of rubble in the center of the room, hoping that Leonard and Sara could be found there.

“Dig guys, I found something!” Ryan called, pointing at a patch of black leather that poked through the pile.

They tore through the rubble, finally unearthing the unconscious bodies of Sara Lance and Leonard Snart. Thankfully both of them were unharmed and easily awakened.

The group watched as Leonard blinked slowly, rising to his elbows as he eyed the woman next to him. He snapped out of his stupor, finally realizing that there were others in the room. Snart stood, casually stepping in front of a still disoriented Sara, blocking her from view. Barry smiled, seeing his old nemesis being something other than evil.

“Flash, good to see you again,” Leonard snapped sarcastically “are you going to introduce me to your new friends, or just stand there watching us like kids at the zoo?” 

Sara’s head cleared and she too stood, her shoulder slamming into Leonard’s arm as she stalked towards the hallway. “Good news, he’s not dead!” she called to the other paragons, her voice flat with anger. Sara threw her hands in the air as she walked out, the remaining heroes looking at each other in confusion, wondering why Sara was so clearly unhappy about her teammate’s return from his so-called death.

“Well, um… Snart, nice to see you.” Barry broke the silence sheepishly. “It’s uh, been five years since you died- I think so at least- and a lot has changed. Well- um, for starters, we’re in this crisis right now, and uh, everybody who isn’t here is dead- just for now-” 

“Allen, do you ever stop talking?” Len drawled, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly. Barry rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at his feet. “I know, alright? I was trapped in my own head with someone called Oculus. Sound familiar?” The group nodded. “Yeah, turns out the Time Bastards were keeping them prisoner- don’t know exactly where they are now though” Leonard mumbled, trailing off into thought. “Regardless, they let me see everything that was going on while I was stuck, so I know all about the crisis.” He turned sharply to Barry. “I gotta say Flash, your life is like a sappy tv show that can’t pick between romance, family, and action. Congrats on the marriage though.” Barry beams despite the insult, but his face quickly turned morose as he remembered their current situation. Leonard barely noticed, his eyes stuck on the hallway Sara disappeared into.

“Look Snart, I’m glad you’re okay, I really am, but we still have a problem, and no ideas on how to fix it.” Barry’s head hung sadly, but Leonard smirked.

“I wouldn’t say that exactly.” The group looked at Leonard in confusion, a small speck of hope shone in each of their eyes.

“Why not?” Kate asks, suspicious.

“‘Because," Leonard drawled, "I have an idea.”


	6. Chapter 6

“An idea? Really?” Kate scoffed at Leonard. The group waited for Snart to respond. They waited for a signature sarcastic comeback, or some sort of eye roll, but as time went on and the group stood there in silence it became clear that there was not going to be a response.

Barry’s eyebrows furrowed, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh, Kate, I know you’re frustrated, believe me I am too, but we should probably listen to what Snart has to say.” Kate frowned but nodded at Leonard to continue.

“Thanks.” Snart said, his tone was hard, but he did not speak unkindly. Barry’s brows knit even further together with concern and confusion. “For you guys, I’ve been gone for years, but for me, it’s only been a few months. During this time I’ve gotten to know Oculus, who basically controls and sees all of time, which makes them ridiculously powerful, got it?” He paused, looking around the room. “They showed me all of your lives up to this point, and because you do-gooders are boring we decided to solve your little Crisis in our spare time.” Len stopped again, his eyes stuck on the hallway that Sara had disappeared through so quickly. He folded his hands together tightly.

“So what’s the _fabulous_ plan then?” Kate asked, her eyes boring into the side of Leonard’s head. He returned her gaze sharply and she looked away.

“I think that maybe it would be best if the whole group heard it at the same time.” He drawled, resuming staring at the doorway.

“I can go get Sara.” J’onn said gently, already heading off to find her.

Ooo0ooO

Sara sat in the main room, her arms were wrapped around her legs and her chin rested gently on her knees. J’onn noted that while the woman usually had such a large presence, in reality, she was fairly small. He could feel waves of emotion coming off of the assassin, her confusion being the most present. Underneath he felt tones of fear and anger, happiness and hope. Her emotions collided with one another, the rough edges grating, fighting a battle. J’onn had a feeling that the winning side would determine something very important. Sara heard his footsteps and changed her position to something more casual.

“Hey, J’onn,” Sara said, smiling sadly. 

“Sara.” The older man nodded in return. “I’ve been sent to ask you to rejoin us in the Wellspring to discuss the new plan, but I think we should probably have a bit of a chat before that.”

“That’s a fair request.” The captain of the Waverider sighed, putting her head in her hands. Sara realized that she may have been a bit obvious about her frustration with the situation, and with their line of work, this could easily cause issues. Sara thought back to when she first met Leonard and what she was like then. If someone asked her to talk about _feelings_ back then Sara would have told them all the ways she could kill them, probably over several days. While she still didn’t want to gush her inner turmoil onto J’onn, who was practically a stranger, Sara has had more experience and understood what conflicting feelings in the field could do to a person. Hell, she’s had to talk to her team about the dangers of it. Sara grimaced.

“Whatever you tell me won’t be shared with the others,” J’onn said kindly. “You have my word.”

“What the hell, why not,” Sara spoke loosely, as if she didn’t care, but sadness dared to leak from her eyes. “Maybe you can help me figure this out.” Sara pulled her legs back to her chest, shrinking into herself once more. “Before Leonard died he told me that he had feelings for me, which alone would have been a lot to process, but earlier in the day he had pulled a gun on me.” J’onn frowned, glancing back towards the hallway. Sara continued, “So when he asked me about a future, I gave him a challenge. I told him he had to steal a kiss from me. Next thing I know, he’s standing in the Oculus Wellspring, elbow-deep in a bomb. So I kissed him.” Sara got quieter as she went on, and by the end, her voice had lowered to a husky whisper. “I thought he was dead. My team we-” she broke off, running a shaking hand through her hair before she locked eyes with J’onn, “I left him for dead.”

J’onn smiled sadly. “You didn’t know Sara, none of you did. He clearly understands that, and now he’s back. Take it as the gift it is. You two can rebuild the relationship you came so close to having before the explosion.” Sara’s frown dug deeper into her face, her weepy eyes went hard.

“No, we can’t. I can’t let that happen J’onn.” 

His brow furrowed. “Why not?”

“People who get close to me die, he’s already been an example of that. And that’s something to worry about only if he would still want a relationship.” Sara stared at her hand as she rubbed the ends of her hair between two fingers. She looked up at the older man. “It’s been a long time J’onn. I’m very different than the lost assassin he used to know, and he’s died and come back, maybe he wants to leave the risky life behind now that he’s experienced the biggest risk first hand.”

“Isn’t that something he needs to decide for himself?” J’onn said pointedly.

Before Sara could reply Leonard stepped out from the shadowy hallway. “Sorry to interrupt,” he drawled, “but there’s a pretty good plan to save the world, and the rest of the group is ready to hear it. You slowpokes coming?” J’onn noticed that his normally icy glare was almost warm as it washed over Sara, checking to see if she was hurt. Leonard glance met hers with a silent question, and she nodded in response, telling him that she was okay. The corners of his mouth dipped slightly, as if he didn’t believe her, but Snart strolled back into the hallway, saving the questions for another time. Sara strolled behind him, her back straight and tall. Every trace of their previous conversation gone, each worry and fear hidden away in a locked box.

J’onn shook his head, taking in what he just saw. The two Legends fit together like puzzle pieces with their silent conversations, warm glances, and deep concern for each other’s safety. _If these next few days go well_ , J’onn thought, _they could last forever_. Yet, a ‘what if’ itched at the back of his mind, making him worry of all that could go very, very wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos I've been getting from you all! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

“So,” Leonard drawled “here’s the plan.”

Sara, Leonard, and J’onn had made it back to the Oculus Wellspring where the rest of the group was gathered. The heroes exchanged worried glances, expecting a plan that would leave them hopeless like all the ones they had already attempted. 

Lex began to whine. “Enough with the dramatics! Just get on with another stupid plan that won’t work.” Leonard and Sara simultaneously rolled their eyes.

“You’re one to talk Lex.” Supergirl interrupted, taking a step towards the bald man. J’onn stepped between the two, firmly grabbing Kara’s shoulder.

“That’s enough. Let’s hear the plan, Kara.” He said gently. It seemed to do the trick. J’onn nodded at Leonard to continue.

“Alright, here’s how it’s gonna be. Oculus is currently working on a way to send us to the beginning of time.” The group erupted in protests and questions, all but Sara and J’onn questioning why this seemed to be a good idea. Leonard folded his arms and shifted his weight to the left, waiting for the toddler-like heroes to tire themselves out. When the group finally quieted down he continued. “As I was saying, Oculus is part of time. They experience the past, present, and future,  _ every future _ , at the same time.” he paused, assessing if the group would continue to behave themselves. “In every timeline, the only thing that was the same was that we had to go to the beginning of time.”

“Well, why can’t we just, not?” Kate asked petulantly. Leonard just stared at her, his eyes void of all emotion. He nodded to Sara, inviting her to explain the time travel portion. She sighed.

“Leonard says that Oculus saw all possibilities. The successful ones included the dawn of time, so if we want to survive, and save our friends, then we should probably go there.” As Sara spoke Leonard watched her. She spoke differently, she clearly had more confidence, or at least knew how to make it seem that she did. But she also seemed harder, as if in these past years she had seen even more tragedy, causing her to put up more walls. Leonard had been watching her life, all of their lives, but it was very different to see Sara in person, to physically see face to face how these long years had changed her. She had become a leader, the captain of a timeship, and it had taken its toll on her, as it should. But behind the walls she put up, under the new layers of confidence, Sara was still the same. The strong, time-traveling, assassin that would kick butt for a good cause, or even for a bit of fun. She cared deeply about her family, whether it be her mother in Central City or her very own team of do-gooders on the Waverider. She was still the woman Len had fallen for as they fought Savage, she just had a few new layers. To be fair though, so did he. Leonard knew that he had changed while trapped in his own head. While it hadn’t been nearly as long for him as it was for Sara and the others, but it was still an experience that softened some of his sharper edges. Maybe they could still work. Echoes of ‘me and you’ drowned out the argument between Kate and Sara, and Snart stuck his hand into his pocket roughly, hoping that he would find the deck of cards.

“Len?” Sara questioned, breaking his train of thought. He let his hand drop before turning to her defensively.

“What?” he snapped, worried that she somehow knew what he was thinking about. Sara’s face smoothed over into a mask of pure professionalism.  _ Crap _ . Out of the corner of his eye, Leonard noticed J’onn frowning.

“How long will it be until Oculus can send us to the dawn of time?” She spoke as if she was asking what the weather was. Leonard almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of his life, but unfortunately, nothing about their situation was funny.

“Time doesn’t pass here so it was hard for us to determine how long we would be waiting, but I’d guess it might feel like a day before anything happens.” Sara wouldn’t look him in the eye. Leonard scowled at his boots. “Any of you do-gooders have any more questions on how to get yourself killed?” Snart was snappish and his tone was biting. He regretted asking the second he said it. Sara’s face was pulled taught into a mask of indifference, but her eyes burned like fire and her teeth tugged on her lip. Barry cleared his throat, sensing the tension in the room.

“Uh- Guys, we should probably all just wait in here until something happens.” Everyone but Kara gave Barry a dirty look. “Just- uh- just so, you know, if something happens we’re all together.”

“Fine, but I’m going to train at some point, and none of you better have a problem with that. Got it?” Kate threatened the group, attempting to intimidate them. Lex Luthor snorted, but everyone sat by the wall without complaint.

Sara slowly slid down the wall next to Leonard. He was staring at his feet, waving them back and forth lazily. Her lips were pressed into a pout, and Leonard found himself distracted, staring at Sara’s face. Out of all that’s changed, this hasn’t. If a situation arose that required a serious conversation, specifically about emotions, this face would be bound to appear sooner or later. Leonard knew that she was frustrated with him, frustrated with the position he had put her in, but how was it his fault that his supposed death happened to be the same day he began to venture further than flirty banter and eye sex?

“I know it’s been a while, so you probably forgot what few manners you had, but quit staring.” Sara said harshly, not even bothering to look in Snart’s direction.

With a roll of his eyes, Leonard’s gaze moved back to his waving feet. “So, what do we think of the plan?” His familiar wording sparked something in Sara. She stood up, finally looking Len in the eye.

“Screw you Snart!”

Leonard watched as Sara stalked away. He closed his eyes slowly, praying that Oculus would hurry up with her little trick. The company at the Vanishing Point was a bit too grating for his taste.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know it's been a few months....sorry about that. In short, I hate school, but I hope you all like the chapter!

Sara made her way to the open area outside the Oculus Wellspring. The Time Masters had put down stone and planted trees, clearly trying to make the place seem not as cold and desolate as the solid concrete fortress behind her. She looked out at the time stream. From here it appeared similar to a night sky, complete with stars, but she knew that this was an illusion. The time stream was a green swirling mess, a place where friends could be lost and found, just as Leonard had been. 

The White Canary dug the heels of her hands into her eyes, going back to when her job was so much simpler. 

“ _ So what do we think of Rip’s plan? _ ”

“ _ Does it matter? _ ”

Her hands pushed upwards and her fingers dug into her scalp. The echoes of the past were too much for her, they offered a chance of a future Sara knew was too good to be true. Snart would want to be back in Central with his sister, or he would join team Flash, or worst of all, he would come back with the Legends, and be with Sara, inevitably leading to his second death. She knew that was the only way it could end if they were together. They just weren’t in the cards. Sara heard the door open and close behind her. She took note of the familiar sound of Leonard’s footsteps, and made a point to continue staring into the illusion of stars. He came to stand next to her, his eyes following the hard lines of anger on her face. Snart sighed and turned away towards the stars.

“I’m sorry.” He had dropped the drawl, lost the swagger. Sara looked at him from the corner of her eye. His guard was down and his eyes were soft. She wanted nothing more than to take his hand and kiss his stupidly handsome face. She wanted to trace his jaw up to his cheekbone, wrap her hands around the back of his head. But she couldn’t. Sara had to keep him safe, and this wasn’t safe.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Snart.” His eyes filled with confusion.

“I don’t do this much Lance. Drop the act, you know what I’m trying to do.” The drawl was back, but Sara found it too soft, too inviting. She forced herself to smile coldly, her eyes tearing up and betraying her as she made her next move.

“I’m sorry Leonard, I really don’t understand what you’re saying. I think you should go.” Her words and tone were polite, but the rest of her conveyed anything but. Her eyes were murderous and shimmering with tears, her lips stretched over her teeth, curling slightly and ripping open a wound from their last mission, causing a small bubble of blood to form in the center of her lower lip. 

Leonard wasn’t fooled, he knew that Sara had doubts, but he never thought she would lie to his face like this, he never thought she would stoop this low. Years ago he looked her in the eye and held a gun to her face. Sara had told Leonard to shoot her and he stood down, and she knew he couldn’t do it, she trusted him. “ _ I think you should go. _ ” Well, this was the gun to his face, this was his turning point. This was the moment that he decides, does he do what she says or does he challenge her the way she did him? Does he trust her the way she trusted him? 

“I think after almost five years, I’m finally right where I need to be. So if you want me to leave, you’re gonna have to make me.” He trusts her. He trusts her to not break his already damaged heart, bleeding and bruised. He trusts her to take him as he is and care for him, watch his back, grow old with him the same way he wants to with her. Leonard knew they had wasted time before, and he didn’t want to make the same mistake again. “I like you, assassin. I like you a whole lot.” The muscles in Sara’s face released their tension before contorting, tears finally escaping as her tightly closed eyes. She finally turned to face him, and when her mouth opened words fell out in ragged sobs.

“I know Len-  _ god I know _ \- but no.” She gulped in air, tears still streaming down her face. “It doesn’t work- it just can’t work.” Sara opened her eyes and looked into his, her face impossibly sad, and Leonard didn’t know how to make it better. He took a breath and moved his hand slowly towards her face. Sara shut her eyes, and it was the permission he needed to brush the tears off her cheek, to cradle her soft face in the palm of his hand. She leaned into his touch and her eyes squeezed tighter, almost as if she was in pain.

“Sara,” Len’s voice was soft, and his finger gingerly brushed her face. “Why can’t it work? Why can’t we be together?” With his question she bit back another sob, trying to compose herself.

“It just doesn’t work,” She sniffled, pulling away from Snart’s hand. “Even if the relationship itself is smooth sailing- knowing us it won’t be,” Sara laughed humorlessly, “Look at my track record Len, they’re all sad, dead, imprisoned, or some combination of the three. Do you really want to end up like that? ‘Cause I don’t think I could live through it.” Her piercing blue eyes sunk into his, “I can’t let anything bad happen to you, not because of me.” She ran a hand over her face, and suddenly she was once again guarded, back to tough as nails Captain Sara Lance. Leonard sighed, he wouldn’t be able to get through to her when she was like this.

“Honestly Lance, a future without you in it sounds worse than any of those options.” Sara’s brow twitched. Leonard took it as a win, it was as close to a reaction as he would get right now. “You know my stance on the matter. I’ll be with the others in the Wellspring. Let me know if you change your mind.” Leonard turned slowly and sauntered towards the door. Like Sara, he had put on a mask of strength, but in truth, he was physically struggling to not look back at the woman he had just left behind. 

Sara took a breath, fully ingesting the events of the day. Her tired knees ached as she lowered herself to the ground. Her head fell into her hands, and she finally allowed herself to seriously consider the possibility of having a future where things could go right, a future she could be happy with. Sara finally considered a future with Leonard.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took way longer than I intended it to, but overall was a pretty good experience. For those of you who have stuck around, thanks for reading and I hope you've enjoyed! Here's the final chapter....

Sara sunk into her bed on the Waverider, processing the events of the past few days. Oculus had returned for the Paragons and brought them to the beginning of time. Leonard and Sara had put aside their feelings and fought back to back like old times, fighting evil and saving the world. Together, the heroes accomplished a lot, but Oliver had died, and the victory was bittersweet. Sara’s oldest friend was gone, but his death had saved humanity, righting so many wrongs in the world. All of their friends were on the same Earth now. After a stop in Central City to see Lisa, Sara and Leonard had both returned to the Waverider. The resident crook seemed to be here to stay, and Sara was left in her bed, covering her face with her hands, wondering what to do. She stared at the ceiling of her room, savoring the peace and quiet of the Waverider’s simulated night. The quiet gave her room to think. With the timestream calm and the multiverse saved the captain should have been able to relax, but this was not the case. A certain crook was taking up too much space in her brain, complicating a simple matter. It might have been exhaustion or left over adrenalin from fighting, but Sara had enough stress for a lifetime and how she felt about Leonard Snart didn’t need to add to that. She got out of bed, reaching around the knife on her nightstand to grab a worn deck of cards.

The metal floors of the ship were cold on her feet as she walked to Leonard’s room. He was staying in a spare, his old room taken by Amaya and then Charlie. Sara stopped, having reached his door.

“Gideon?” She asked.

“Mr. Snart says you may come in, Captain.” The AI replied, sliding open the door. Sara nodded a quiet thank you, suddenly nervous, all the potential results of what she was about to do slamming into her like a brick wall. She felt as light as a feather and as heavy as a bag of bricks. She had hope, she had a small bit of faith. This could go alright- or he could leave and never see her again, and Sara didn’t want to survive that. She fingered the pack of cards half hazardous shoved in her too far small pocket. The corners had gone fuzzy from a good year of gin and too many of solitaire.

“You gonna come in Lance?” Leonard called to her from the bed. She had clearly woken him up, his lanky legs clad in flannel pants. He was lounging on top of the covers, his arm folded to support his upper body. Sara nearly grinned as she realized it was almost exactly how he stood, just turned horizontally. He pushed himself up as she walked in and sat hesitantly beside him, the foot and a half of space between them somehow being both too much and not enough. Sara took the old pack of cards from her pocket, noting the barely visible look of surprise on Leonard’s face.

“So,” Sara started, her voice a mask of confidence she wished she felt. She began dealing the cards. “The world didn’t implode.”

Len nodded stiffly, looking nonchalantly down at his cards. “That’s a good start.” He paused for a bit, the two of them playing gin in silence. “I suppose I should thank you for saving me.” He looked up when he said this, and although his tone was sarcastic, his eyes rang with sincerity. Sara’s brow furrowed in anticipation of her next move, both in the game and in their conversation. She took a breath, and realized it was too late to turn back now.

“Well, I couldn’t just leave my crook floating around in the timestream.” She could feel his eyes tracing her face, looking for insincerity and coming up empty.

“So, I’m  _ your _ crook now?” Len asks, raising an eyebrow. His voice was soft, void of the sarcasm that he usually hid behind. He was telling her,  _ go on, I trust you completely _ .

Sara responded to his question, still playing with the cards, “Only if you want to be.”

Leonard looked her in the eye, blue meeting blue and merging in a way only they could accomplish. “I think,” he started, gently tugging her fingers away from the cards, “I think I would like that very much.”

A wide smile cracked Sara’s face in two. Her head dropped downwards, her eyes locked on their intertwined hands. She ran her thumb over his hand, feeling the calluses that near covered his fingertips and the top of his palms. The cards had spilled from her grasp and were spread between them on the bed, their game of gin no longer a prevalent thought to the two Legends. Sara carefully removed her hand from Leonard’s and gingerly brought them to his face. He inhaled sharply and his mouth parted slightly, almost like a silent, controlled laugh. His scruff tickled her palms and she warmed as he shifted closer to her, his eyes drawn to her lips, leaning in slowly, asking for permission.

_ Yes, _ she said as she met him halfway, interlocking her lips with his. Leonard deepened the kiss, bringing a hand to her hair. There they sat, the crook and the assassin, the hero and the captain, kissing among the cards.

She pulled back slowly and he went with her, the two falling back onto the bed. They parted for air and Leonard smiled looking down at the incredible woman below him. Sara’s hair had spread out, tangled, amongst the pillows, her cheeks flushed.

“You are so beautiful.”

She laughed and rolled over so that she was on top of him. “With compliments like that we should have had this conversation ages ago.” Leonard smiled as Sara leaned in for another kiss.

As they kissed, Sara knew that the two of them still had a long way to go, but they’d be working together, and there was no one in any universe, timeline, or galaxy she’d rather have watching her back. And in the end, it seemed that was all there was to it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this, and have a great day!


End file.
